An iconic French minister is bowing out, a man we were many counting on. And as in mourning, feelings are jostling. After the sadness, the anger is one of those.
After all, what can political ecology be if it is not a fight? “Victim of lobbies”? It’s a joke !
The “lobbies”, ie the economic actors, express their positions. Policy-makers must listen to them. They must also listen to the other actors of civil society: associations, NGOs, scientists …
At other times, Tocqueville had seen in the American society of his time the risk of the conformism of the opinions and the tyranny of the majority. To solve this difficulty, he proposed to restore the intermediate institutional bodies that had occupied a central place under the Ancien Régime, such as the corporations – the “lobbies” of his time – or the associations, and to promote the freedom of the press and of religious practice. By strengthening social bonds, these intermediate powers were fighting against the omnipotence of the state.
At the end of the day, it is up to the policy-makers to decide, in the sense of the general interest, which must obviously take into account the concern of future generations. This is their magnificent responsibility.
It involves working H24, fighting all the trade-offs, tirelessly wearing his convictions, all the time. It implies not being duped speeches of each other, To detect small conservatism, the cowardice of everyday life. To step back from the agreed discourse of cautious little technocrats, whose main concern is to ensure that their professional position correctly and durably reflects their school leaving rank. And not give up anything, even if it spoils your nights.
All this has a name: commitment. This is the title of this post. And I will not illustrate it with a picture of our late Minister of State.
Instead, I chose a photo of Bono and Adam Clayton, taken at the legendary Abbey Road Studios last November. Because they prove to us that the courage to commit still exists.
Tomorrow night, U2 will begin with a concert in Berlin its European tour. Bono, his iconic singer took this opportunity to publish a few days ago in the Frankfürter Allgemeine a real love letter to Europe. He announced at the same time that all members of the group would wear the European colors during the concerts of this tour.
He wants to see it as a “radical and symbolic act in favor of Europe and against extremists and nationalists”.
Environment, Europe, what relationship?
It is in fact the same subject, the commitment that we owe to future generations.
Iconography: Bono and Adam Clayton, U2 singer and bassist, at Abbey Road Studios for BBC One, November 16, 2017 © BBC
After working as an international banker for emerging countries, Laurent Lascols became global head of country risk / sovereign risk (from 2008 to 2013) then global director of public affairs (from 2014 to 2019) for Societe Generale. In 2021, he founded Aristote, an advisory firm and training organization dedicated to environmental economics, sustainable finance and impact finance.